Women’s lost earnings due to pay inequality amounted to $1.7 trillion in 2023. How will the next administration address this stark gender inequality?
By S. Mona Sinha, Global Executive Director of Equality Now, and Zakiya Thomas, President and CEO of the ERA Coalition
New analysis from the National Partnership for Women and Families reveals that women lost $1.7 trillion in earnings in 2023 due to the gender pay gap, underscoring the persistent economic inequality they face.
With the 2024 presidential election approaching, what will the next administration do to close this gap and unlock the potential of trillions of dollars in economic growth by ensuring women receive equal pay for equal work?
A major reason why this pay gap persists is that women are not explicitly protected against sex discrimination in the U.S. Constitution, leaving them vulnerable to systemic legal bias and its far-reaching financial and social impacts.
One transformational way to rectify this problem is for the U.S. to enshrine gender equality in its Constitution by ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). This proposed amendment would guarantee equal rights under the law by explicitly prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex or gender.
Women need greater protection against discrimination
The U.S. has no federal law requiring businesses to provide paid family leave, making it the only high-income country without mandatory paid maternity leave, according to the World Bank. This forces new mothers to return to work soon after childbirth, risking their physical and mental health while balancing work and childcare. Additionally, the absence of guaranteed paid paternity leave reinforces traditional gender roles by placing the burden of caregiving on women and forcing many to choose between their careers and family responsibilities, often resulting in professional, financial, and personal setbacks.
The World Bank has highlighted that while women’s labor force participation has risen significantly in the last fifty years, they still remain overrepresented in low-paid, insecure, and unregulated jobs. Many face unequal treatment at work and limited access to career advancement opportunities.
The absence of constitutional safeguards means that women in the U.S. have less protection against discrimination in the workplace in relation to their gender, parental status, or pregnancy – making it harder for victims to access justice when they are mistreated in hiring, remuneration, promotion, and retention practices.